USPTO Patents Application 09800346

What is claimed is:

CLAIMS

1 1. A method, comprising:

2 digitally signing a web page that includes a trigger with a private key to

3 provide a digital signature;

4 transmitting the web page, the digital signature, and a digital certificate from

5 a first computer system to a second computer system; and

6 responsive to the trigger, automatically verifying the digital signature on the

7 second computer system using a public key corresponding to the private key.

1 2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting

2 the web page, the digital signature, and the digital certificate including the public

3 key corresponding to the private key from the first computer system to the second

4 computer system.

1 3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting

2 the web page, the digital signature, the digital certificate, and an object from the first

3 computer system to the second computer system.

1 4. The method of claim 3 wherein automatically verifying comprises

2 responsive to the trigger, automatically verifying the digital signature on the second

3 computer system using the object.

Atty. Ref. No.: 155638-0037
Express Mail No.: EL692572683US

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Patent Application

1 5. The method of claim 1 wherein digitally signing comprises:

2 hashing the web page to provide a message digest; and

3 digitally signing the message digest with a private key to provide the digital

4 signature.

1 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger includes one or more of the

2 following: a flag, variable, one or more lines of code, and subroutine.

1 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising one of the following:

2 embedding the trigger in the web page;

3 incorporating the trigger in the web page;

4 appending the trigger to the web page; and

5 placing the trigger in a HTTP header of the web page.

1 8. A computer system, comprising:

2 a memory including one or more instructions; and

3 a processor coupled to the memory, the processor, responsive to the one or

4 more instructions, to,

5 transmit a request for a web page over a communication link,

6 receive the web page including a trigger, a digital signature, and a

7 digital certificate, and

8 responsive to the trigger, automatically verify the digital signature of

9 the web page using a public key corresponding to a private key used to
10 digitally sign the web page.

Atty. Ref. No.: 155638-0037 -20- Patent Application

Express Mail No.: EL692572683US

1

2
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9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processor, in response to the one
or more instructions, to receive the web page, digital signature, and the digital
certificate including the public key.

1 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processor, in response to the one

2 or more instructions, to receive the web page, digital signature, digital certificate,

3 and an object, said object being executed by the processor to automatically verify the

4 digital signature of the web page.

1 11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processor automatically verifies

2 the digital signature of the web page by

3 hashing the web page to provide a calculated message digest;

4 decrypting the digital signature using the public key to provide a recovered

5 message digest; and

6 comparing the calculated message digest and the recovered message digest.

1 12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the trigger includes one or more of

2 the following: a flag, variable, one or more lines of code, and subroutine.

1 13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the memory includes a software

2 routine for plug-in comprising the one or more instructions.

Atty. Ref. No.: 155638-0037
Express Mail No.: EL692572683US

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Patent Application

1 14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the memory includes one of a

2 browser software program and a plug-in comprising the one or more instructions.

1 15. A method, comprising:

2 receiving a request for a web page;

3 digitally signing the web page that includes a trigger with a private key to

4 provide a digital signature, said trigger for causing a program on a computer system

5 to automatically verify the digital signature of the web page; and

6 transmitting the web page, the digital signature, and a digital certificate to the

7 computer system in response to receiving the request for the web page.

1 16. The method of claim 15 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting

2 the web page, the digital signature, and the digital certificate including a public key

3 corresponding to the private key to the computer system, in response to receiving

4 the request for the web page.

1 17. The method of claim 15 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting

2 the web page, the digital signature, the digital certificate, and an object to the

3 computer system, in response to receiving the request for the web page.

1 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said object, on the computer system,

2 for detecting the trigger, and in response to detecting the trigger, automatically

3 verifying the digital signature of the web page.

Atty. Ref. No.: 155638-0037
Express Mail No.: EL692572683US

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Patent Application

1 19. The method of claim 15 wherein the trigger includes one or more of

2 the following: a flag, variable, one or more lines of code, and subroutine.

1 20. The method of claim 15 further comprising one of the following:

2 embedding the trigger in the web page;

3 incorporating the trigger in the web page;

4 appending the trigger to the web page; and

5 placing the trigger in a HTTP header of the web page.

1 21. A method, comprising:

2 transmitting a web page that includes a trigger from a first computer system

3 to a second computer system;

4 displaying the web page on a display of the second computer system;

5 detecting the trigger by a program executed on a processor of the second

6 computer system;

7 automatically requesting that the web page be digitally signed;

8 digitally signing the web page with a private key to provide a digital

9 signature; and

10 transmitting the web page, digital signature, and a digital certificate to the

1 1 first computer system.

1 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the trigger includes one or more of

2 the following: a flag, variable, one or more lines of code, and subroutine.

Atty. Ref. No.: 155638-0037
Express Mail No.: EL692572683US

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Fatent Application

1 23. The method of claim 21 further comprising one of the following:

2 embedding the trigger in the web page;

3 incorporating the trigger in the web page;

4 appending the trigger to the web page; and

5 placing the trigger in a HTTP header of the web page.

1 24. The method of claim 21 wherein the program is one or more of the

2 following: a plug in and browser program.

Atty. Ref. No.: 155638-0037
Express Mail No.: EL692572683US

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Patent Application